Wales Against Austerity And Cuts Conference Saturday 4th October

Wales Against Austerity And Cuts Conference Saturday 4th October October 2, 2014

Cardiff Saturday 4 October 2014 11.00 – 16.00 at the Owain Glyndwr High Street Arcade CF10 1GLProposed structure of the dayi. Introduction to the Day to include briefing paper on the public sectorcuts situation in Wales – Len Arthur. 11.0-11.20 a.m.ii. Feedback from the floor, to include reports of action already taken orproposed by local groups. 11.20 – 12 nooniii. People’s Assembly UK speaker 12 noon – 12.20p.m.iv. Lunch – 12.20 – 1.20 p.m.v. Two speakers from public sector unions – in support of the 14 Octoberstrike and the 18 October TUC demonstration (names to be confirmed)1.20 – 1.40 p.m.vi. Questions and discussion from the floor 1.40 – 2.15 p.m.vii. The Way Forward – Next Steps – Plans for Action (to include October 14thand October 18th London Demonstration, and Action for Wales)Open discussion around the draft outcome to be tabled leading to agreedstatement from the day. 2.15 – 3.15 p.m.viii. Future organisation of Wales campaign. – 3.15 – 4.0 p.m.ChairingWoman in the morning – man in afternoon: TBCDraft action statementSee attachedName of campaignPeople’s Assembly Wales will be put to the meeting as well as the workingtitle Wales Against Austerity and Cuts.After the 4thThe action focus should initially be on the UK budget announcement andthe Assembly consideration of the 2015-16 budget. Following that processsupporting bodies should address ongoing organisational requirements.

Calling letter distributed in August

The People’s Assembly RCT/Bridgend made a call to anti cuts, anti austerity andtrade union organisation across Wales recently, to support a meeting to coordinateand prepare for the fightback against the new Tory austerity measures that will beannounced this coming autumn. The outcome is this letter which is currentlysupported by 14 organisations. It is also hoped to add individual’s names in thenear future.We are asking you to add you own or your organisation’s name to this call and toattend or send a delegate to the Cardiff 4 October meeting that will be from 11.00 –16.00 at the Owain Glyndwr, St John Chambers, High Street Arcade, Cardiff CF101GL.The prime purpose will be to establish a coordinated campaign across Wales tooppose austerity cuts that will be announced this autumn, to help mobilise supportfor the 14 October public sector strikes and the TUC 18 October demonstration.A draft agenda will be circulated to all supporting organisations and individuals atleast three weeks before the start of the meeting. If you wish to help with thisplease let us know.The austerity policies of this Tory government are increasing inequality anddegrading public services across the UK.In Wales we have been directly affected through cuts made to both devolved andnon devolved services.About £700m will be cut from local council revenue budgets across Wales by 2017– 18. If reductions in capital spending are added in this figures rises to about£1000m or £1bn. These figures are dependent on a number of assumptions thatmay not happen but are nevertheless based upon ‘prudent’ assumptions ofcouncillors’ financial advisers.To put these figures into context the current Welsh Government budget is £15bn:£1bn is therefore a significant additional reduction in real public sector spendingand a huge hit on a public sector that provides a quarter of all jobs in Wales.Over 2010 to 2017 there is by the end date likely to be a loss of £750m in realspending in the Welsh NHS.Across Wales there will be loss of £930m through social security cuts in 2015/16.This means that by 2017 austerity will have cost Wales almost £3bn a year in lostpublic service spending – around £1000 per person per year in Wales or £4000 peryear for the average family.Everyone in Wales knows a person or family that has been directly hit: everyone inWales knows of a local service that has been cut.We cannot allow this to continue. We did not create this financial crisis and weshould not be forced to pay for it.Wales already has some of the poorest and most deprived communities in theUnited Kingdom, with both rural and urban poverty a feature of many Welshpeople’s lives. These cuts hit the most vulnerable members of our communities thehardest.This autumn we will be faced with decisions involving another round of cuts andwe should insist that our political representatives join with us in resisting andfighting back.

Please contact P.Murry at yrrumuk@googlemail.com if you are interested.

GREEN LEFT FRINGE AT AUTUMN CONFERENCE 2012

Both Green Left and the Green Party Trade Union Group applied to have fringes at the Green Party Conference September 7-10 2012, Conferences Committee turned down both these requests. Green Left decided to mount a fringe outside conference at 6-8pm on Saturday 8th September GPTU agreed to support this meeting and contribute towards costs of room hire. Video clips at http://greenleftblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/green-left-fringe-fringe-at-green-party.html